The present invention relates to an electrical connector.
One example of a connector provided with a means for detecting whether male and female housings are in a half-fitted state is described in JP-9-219257. In this connector, a male housing is provided with a hood into which a female housing can be fitted, and a spring means is housed in a housing member adjacent to the hood. When the two housings are to be fitted together, the spring means is pressed by the female housing, spring force thereof accumulating while it is being pressed. If the fitting operation of the two housings is halted part-way through, the spring force accumulated thus far is released, this pushing the female housing outwards. By this means, the half-fitted state of the two housings can be detected.
The fitting operation of connectors provided with a fitting detecting means is extremely reliable. It is highly desirable to improve the reliability of the fitting operation of connectors in general, and it is therefore desirable to provide a fitting detecting means to connectors which conventionally do not have one. However, it is necessary to design new connectors in order to realize this, and the cost thereof is high.
The present invention has taken the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a fitting detecting means which can be added to a variety of types of connector.
According to the invention there is provided a connector comprising two mutually engageable connector housings and a detecting unit for detecting incomplete engagement of said housings, said detecting unit being a separate component for selective attachment to one of said housings, and having a spring acted on by the other of said housings and adapted to accumulate a resilient force during engagement of said housings, said force tending to move said housings in the direction of separation. Preferably the other of said housings ceases to act on said spring when the housings are fully engaged, so as to avoid permanent set of the spring.
The detecting unit preferably includes a slider retained therein and resiliently latchable with the other of said housings both in the direction of attachment and in the direction of separation of said housings. In the direction of attachment the slider and other of said housings preferably have contact faces perpendicular to the attachment direction, whereas in the direction of separation the contact faces are preferably at an angle to the attachment direction. Such an arrangement provides a semi-latch which is releasable on application of a predetermined separation force.
In the case of connectors which are elongate in the direction perpendicular to the attachment direction, a detecting unit may be provided at both ends in order to ensure smooth engagement. An attachable detecting unit has the advantage of being able to be included with the connector only when required.